A recent “Top Industries in the MENA” survey conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, and YouGov, a research and consulting organisation, has unveiled that the Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals industry is a regional leader in terms of satisfaction, employee experience, and the perception of professionals employed in other industries. The survey also shows that the main reason for employees to change industry is due to better salaries elsewhere.

Current Industry Satisfaction:

When asked about their satisfaction with the industry they are currently employed in, respondents across the region were predominantly satisfied. In terms of job security and stability, 35% claim to be happy, and 28% claim to be neutral. 37% are also satisfied with maintaining a work-life balance.

Those who are most satisfied are currently employed in the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical industry, which was ranked top for salary packages, andjob security and stability. The Hospitality industry also ranked high, coming first in work/life balance, and career growth opportunities

“Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals is traditionally a strong industry in our region, given the rich natural resources available here. With this in mind, it is not surprising that this industry ranks so highly amongst the professionals who work in it,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales at Bayt.com. “At Bayt.com, we have been helping the top employers in the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry recruit top talent at all career levels for over a decade now and are well-versed in meeting the very specific human resource requirements in this industry. With our HR research we focus on gathering information that is relevant and useful to all aspects of recruitment in the MENA region. Our annual Top Industries in the MENA Report gives invaluable insight into employee behavior and industry perceptions, delivering vital statistics that make a difference to employers, employees and recruiters alike.”

Changing From One Industry to Another:

Levels of satisfaction play a major role in employees deciding to change industry. Of those who participated in the survey, a quarter changed from one industry to another in the last 24 months. In descending order, the top reasons for doing so are better salaries, better growth opportunities, and a lack of recognition in their previous industry.

Perceived Top Industries:

Respondents claim that the Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals industry is clearly the most desirable in their country of residence. The industry came out top in salary packages (48%), work-life balance (28%), career growth opportunities (34%) and job security and stability (34%). Banking and Finance came in second in the first three categories.

When unemployed experienced professionals were asked about the industry that they were seeking employment in, construction came first with 9% of respondents currently looking for a job in this industry. IT and Banking/Finance came next as a joint second, with 6% each. Three industries tied for third place with 5% of respondents seeking employment in them: Oil, Gas, and Petrochemicals, manufacturing, and Tourism/Hospitality. In the Gulf countries, the top industries that unemployed experienced professionals are seeking employment in are: Banking/Finance at 12%, Construction at 8%, and IT at 6%. In North African countries, these industries are: Construction at 9%, Tourism/Hospitality at 7%, and IT at 6%. Meanwhile, in the Levant professionals are most attracted to jobs in Construction (9%), Healthcare/Medical Services (7%) and Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals, as well as Management Consulting (tied at 6%).

In terms of best salary packages (including non-monetary benefits), almost half of the survey takers agreed that Oil, Gas, and Petrochemicals is best(48%). Banking/Finance followed at 24% and the Airline industry came third at 23%.

The government is most seen as a favorable employer in the Gulf countries, with 67% of respondents seeing it as an "extremely favorable" or "slightly favorable” option, and is least favorable in the Levant, at 53%. “Government is considered to be the most favourable employer, especially in GCC countries,” said SundipChahal, CEO, YouGov. “In Lebanon, however, only 39% consider a public sector career to be favourable.”

The perception is that the majority of local talent across the MENA region is attracted to the Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals industry (25%), followed by Banking and Finance (18%) and Telecommunications (15%). In the Gulf, local talent seems to be most attracted to working in Oil, Gas, and Petrochemicals (34%), Government/Civil Services (24%), and Banking/Finance (22%). Professionals in the Levant appear to be most attracted to the Banking/Finance industry (26%) with IT coming in second place at 20% and Telecommunications in third place at 16%. In North Africa, Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals came in first (22%), followed bymedia at 17%and Telecom at third (16%).

Women, meanwhile, are seen by the HR Survey to be drawn mostly towards careers in Education and Academia (26%), Media (24%), and Healthcare and Medical Services (23%).

Data for the Bayt.com Top Industries in the MENA Report2012 was collected online from November 5 - 14, 2012, with 12,040 respondents aged 18+, representing Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, KSA, Syria, Tunisia and the UAE. Of those who responded, 9,791 are currently employed.

Add a new comment

Background information

Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East, offering a complete range of end-to-end employment solutions and career planning tools. Bayt.com is fully functional in English, Arabic and French, and offers the fastest, easiest, most effective and cost-efficient methods for employers to find quality candidates, and for job seekers to find top jobs, in the Middle East and North Africa.

Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East, offering a complete range of end-to-end employment solutions and career planning tools. Bayt.com is fully functional in English, Arabic and French, and offers the fastest, easiest, most effective and cost-efficient methods for employers to find quality candidates, and for job seekers to find top jobs, in the Middle East and North Africa.